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The Carolina Hurricanes enter the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2018-19. Carolina knocked off the New York Islanders in six games and the New Jersey Devils in five to get to the final four.
The Hurricanes now face the wild-card Florida Panthers for the chance to move on to the Stanley Cup Final.
Here are three reasons why the Carolina Hurricanes will win the 2023 Stanley Cup:
#1. They've been there, done that... sort of
Crazily, the Carolina Hurricanes have the most recent championship of the final four teams, coming in 2006. And while none of the current players on the roster were on that team nearly 20 years ago, they do have someone who was.
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Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour played an integral role on the 2006 championship team. In his second to last trip to the postseason, Brind'Amour racked up 12 goals and 18 points in 25 games. His Canes took down the Canadiens, Devils, Sabres, and Oilers to win their first and only Stanley Cup.
He is one of few remaining players or coaches to have accomplished that feat.
#2. The Carolina Hurricanes play tough, two-way hockey
Speaking of Brind'Amour, this was his forte. During his career, the gritty forward took home two Selke Trophies for the best two-way forward in the league.
Even more impressively, he won those two awards towards the end of his career and in back-to-back seasons (2004-05, 2005-06). When his team needed it, he was there to provide, whatever it came down to.
Brind'Amour's style of play is a huge part of his coaching style as well. The Hurricanes play one of the toughest, most consistent brands of hockey in the NHL. They are physical, they forecheck extremely hard, they put pucks and bodies to the net more than any other team, and they play the same way every night.
Because of this, each player knows exactly what to do when they get their chance in the lineup. This has been huge for Carolina, who has been without Andrei Schvechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen, Ondrej Kase, and Max Pacioretty for most or all of the playoffs.
No matter what, the next guy seems to come in and play right to the style that makes them successful.
#3. Florida will run out of steam
It seems more than likely that the Florida Panthers will eventually run out of the magic they have had this postseason. Although some underdogs have made it all the way to the finish line (St. Louis Blues in 2019, Los Angles Kings in 2012), there is a reason why it is so infrequent.
Getting past the Boston Bruins took everything that Florida had. Then in round two, they were able to dig deep and beat a flustered Maple Leafs team. But the Carolina Hurricanes are smarter than those two clubs. They stick to their style and don't let a lot throw them off course.
That means that the post-whistle stuff from Matthew Tkachuk and company should not affect them as much. If they can ignore all that and stay out of the box, they should have success.
